Out of the Shadows
by R.E.act
Summary: Amber Chase is starting her first year at Hogwarts. With the help of her cousin, her best friends, and the Weasley twins, she is determined to unravel the mysteries of her past and move on to the future; but could everything be falling apart instead?
1. Kings Cross Station

**Hi everyone! Thanks for reading Out of the Shadows. I changed the setup of my chapters, so Chapters 1 and 2 that I already made are split up. I finished Ch. 3-5, so I really hope you like! Please review and enjoy! :D  
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"Amby, Amby!" a young voice chanted happily, "Amby, wake up! Wake up!"

"Hmm? Ugh, what do you want, Sadie?" eleven-year-old Amber Chase moaned, half-asleep.

"But, Amby," Sadie Chase whined, a bit disappointed, "It's time for Hoggywars!"

That woke Amber up, "Hogwarts! Oh, Sadie, thank you! Thank you, I love you… So much left to do… so much to get…"

Amber hopped out of bed, kissed her little sister on the head, and rushed to change out of her pajamas. She pulled her pre-decided outfit off of the ottoman that was placed at the foot of her bed as little Sadie hoisted herself up onto the bed and watched her sister in awe as she ran around, grabbing various objects; Amber was Sadie's role model. Amber was smart, kind, pretty, and talented; she could beat all of their cousins at broom racing, control her own magic, and see the bright side of dark situations when even Sadie could not. The four-year-old thought of all of the things she would miss when Amber left to attend Hogwarts, a boarding school for young witches and wizards. Alas, Amber would come back, no matter what; she always came back for Sadie, always made her happy when she was sad. The tyke climbed off the bed and ran downstairs to see her mother; there were still many questions that she had about Hogwarts.

* * *

><p>Amber stepped out of her bathroom and pranced to the full-length mirror past her bed. Stepping forward, she looked at herself. Amber was slightly taller than average and had a lean, but slightly muscular build; though she was far stronger than she looked. Her hair was a glossy, golden color with light blonde sun-streaks and her skin was fair. Though she was very beautiful, even for an eleven-year-old, there was one feature about her that stuck out: her eyes. They were an electric green color, with light blue rimming, and a few dark green and blue flecks strewn here-and-there. If there was one way to remember Amber, it was by her eyes.<p>

She was very pleased with her first day of school outfit, but the nerves of soon departing from Kings Cross Station had finally hit her full on. In just two short hours, she would board a train, leaving her family and the life she had come to know behind. She would be propelled into a world full of potions, charms, and unfamiliar faces: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Needing something to relieve her anxiety, Amber reached for her new wand on her bedside table and ran her hands over the surface happily. The glossy 10-inch piece of dark ebony infused with a tail hair from a female unicorn eased all of her worries. Amber pulled a book out of her fully pack trunk entitled Keeping and Caring for Your Wand. From the time she bought it two days ago, Amber had probably read the book three times. Flipping the pages, she landed on _Polishing Your Wand_. Then, she retrieved a wooden box with the words _Wand Care_ from her trunk and began properly polishing the wood as her mind drifted to what her family members had told her about Hogwarts.

Amber's cousin, Oliver Wood, had told her most everything about the school already, but all else she knew she had learned from the book Hogwarts: A History. Mrs. Chase had told Amber that her little siblings, Sadie and Jacob, looked up to her and followed her lead. That is how Amber felt about Oliver; he was her idol. Oliver was only two years older than Amber, but he seemed so much wiser than his age. He had great judgment and was a fantastic Quidditch player. Actually, Oliver had taught Amber how to ride a broomstick, but back then he didn't know that soon she would be able to outride him, and even score against him during their games of pickup Quidditch. Oliver had given her two birthday presents this year: a Broomstick Servicing Kit (for her hand-me down ride) and a book about the Holyhead Harpies (Amber's favorite Quidditch team). They were both tucked carefully away in her extremely full trunk, along with schoolbooks, a cauldron, robes, and some other supplies. Amber frowned, knowing that she, as a first year, couldn't bring her old, but prized, Tinderblast broomstick. It was probably the slowest Quidditch broom ever made, but Amber had the skill (and patience) to make it speed a tiny bit faster than even Oliver's new Nimbus 1500; mainly because she rode it more than three hours each day, and gave Quidditch more dedication than schoolwork (which was saying a lot).

Amber remembered Oliver's Nimbus 1500 and how he was a shoe-in to make the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Keeper. His parent's had purchased the broom as a present for the start of the new school year, and as a reward for doing well on his final exams. He had automatically used Floo Powder to come to his cousin's house and show it off. The two of them had obsessed over it all night long, admiring its glossy finish and prestigious flying abilities.

"Amby! Hurry, Amby! It's breakfast time, then we go!" Sadie's voice called from downstairs, jerking Amber out of her flashback. Carefully putting the wand supplies back in her trunk, Amber shut it tight and checked her room and Hogwarts supply list for the twentieth time in the past two days to make sure there was nothing she was forgetting. Not finding anything, Amber stuck her wand in the front pocket of her jeans, picked up her trunk, and took one last look at her room before running downstairs.

Jacob, Sadie, and Amber's parents were in the kitchen when she came in after setting her trunk by the front door. A plate full of bacon and pancakes stared at her from her usual placemat. Strangely, though, Amber was too scared and too excited to have an appetite, but that didn't stop Mrs. Chase from forcing it upon her, saying "It's going to be a long day, Am. I assure you that the second we get to the station, you will be starving. And, honey, we are not buying you food there." So, Amber stuffed down some bites and went to get her trunk.

"Amber, bud, we still have an hour before it's time to go," Mr. Chase said with a chuckle, looking at his eager daughter. He remembered what it had felt like when he got his letter from Hogwarts and the day he had departed away from Platform 9 ¾. Amber sighed, disappointed but the memory of something very important came back to her and she sped up to her room.

Amber crawled under her bed and dislodged a small crowbar from between the bed frame and the wall, then used the flattened iron to pry up one wooden floorboard in her closet. Under the board lay a brown paper bag. _There it was_. She couldn't believe she had almost forgot it. After secretly buying its contents at a ratty bookstore on Diagon Alley, she had hidden it and not spoken one word about it. She did not want to get caught before setting off for Hogwarts.

That day, Mr. and Mrs. Chase had sent Amber to get her schoolbooks while they got Jacob and Sadie lunch, then bought her cauldron for her. This had given Amber enough time to buy all of her books, as well as some most of Flourish and Blott's inventory:

Hogwarts: A History

Keeping and Caring for your Wand

Magick Moste Evile

Most Gilderoy Lockheart books

Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland

The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology

Achievements in Charming

Dark Arts Outsmarted

Cram It! How to Soar on your O.W.L.s

Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions

A Guide to Medieval Sorcery

Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century

Sites of Historical Sorcery

Where There's a Wand, There's a Way

Spellman's Syllabary

The Noble Sport of Warlocks

Quidditch Through the Ages

Which Broomstick?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Though all of these books were shoved into her giant trunk, making it extremely heavy, there were a three that were in the brown bag: Secrets of the Darkest Art, Improving your Wand and Skills, and Moste Potente Potions. It was very important to keep all of the books a secret, especially the last three, for her parents would absolutely not approve of the advanced, gory, and unpredictable magic that lay within the pages. Also, they were more than likely restricted at Hogwarts, but as far as Amber knew, there were no special security measures for books, as long as she kept to herself.

She had been lucky at Obscurus Books, where she had found the three most "interesting" and most likely off limits books, in the far back room hidden behind an old shelf. The door had been labeled "Adults Only" but it was obvious that the shelf had been put there to block off the dark and dusty chamber; but the young cashier was not interested and just rang Amber up with the flick of a wand while reading _Witch Weekly_ and talking to the face of her friend in the fire behind the counter. Amber was worried that her parent's would get suspicious, but when she had stashed her treasures behind a table outside of Madame Malkin's and gone to check with her them, they informed her that they both had work emergencies and would leave her in the care of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson (Mr. Johnson was a Ministry friend of Mr. Chase's) who had a daughter Amber's age, Angelina.

Amber and Angelina had become close over the period of four years but Amber attended public muggle school and the two rarely saw each other; mainly they just wrote daily letters. Being around muggles day-in and day-out, Amber had learned to control her magic extremely well, but that didn't sacrifice her power, if anything, it made her far stronger. Alas, being a witch in a world of muggles compromised her ability to have magical friends. Though she was a social person, the girl only had time to see her two best friends (Angelina and Oliver) once every few weeks. So, she filled the void with education. Both muggle and magical education came first for Amber. She finished at least one book each day, and always craved for more, whether it be translating Beedle the Bard, studying the history of the Ministry, reading Shakespeare, or studying the muggle philosophy on magic.

The other thing that mattered most in Amber's life (besides her family) was Quidditch. Though it wasn't fully the air she breathed like Oliver, it did enter every night's dream and on her mind almost every single second of the day. That was one of the things that had brought Angelina and Amber close; they both worshipped the Holyhead Harpies and Gryffindors, and both wanted most to be a world renowned Chaser. Amber was glad to be under the care of the Johnsons. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson would not ask questions about her many books, and since Sadie and Jacob had gone home, Angelina and Amber could wander, shop, talk, and stay in Quality Quidditch Supplies for hours.

* * *

><p>Finally it was time to go to King's Cross Station. Amber hid her restricted books in the bottom of her trunk where nobody could find them and had focused on what the Hogwarts Express would look like. She excitedly fast-walked through the impressive train station, staring at her ticket and the trolley she was rolling. Then there it was, the barrier for Platforms 9 and 10. Amber's heart seemed to stop (along with the rest of her body), just looking at it. Once she ran through that barrier, there was no going back. She would hop on the Hogwarts Express and find a new home at the castle among new friends. For the first time in her life, Amber became terrified of the magical world. Would people like her? Would she be a horrible witch? What if the Sorting Hat did the unimaginable and put her in Slytherin? Though Amber was strong, she was sure that the Slytherin house would squish her like a bug; she cared too much about other's feelings. Jacob and Sadie saw their sister's hesitation and immediately went to her side, smiling through their sadness, reminding her that Hogwarts would be amazing.<p>

Amber halfheartedly went through the barrier and was astonished by what was before her: a giant, red train billowing smoke. There were hundreds of kids running around, hugging friends and family, pointing, giggling, and jumping on the Express. The butterflies that were attacking Amber's insides momentarily melted away. This was where she was meant to be, among people who understood her (well more than muggles did). Amber spotted Oliver and his parents and immediately ran over, hugging them tightly. But too soon her family was starting their goodbyes.

Right before she was about to board the train, Mrs. Chase opened her mouth, "Oh, Amber, we all got you something special".

She looked around as her family beamed. Mr. Chase pulled something from behind Oliver's trolley. Amber squealed and reached out for it immediately. It was a small, black kitten with bright green eyes, just like hers. There was pink and green ribbon wrapped in a bow around the feline's neck. This had to be the most adorable kitten in the world.

"Oh! You are so sweet!" Amber said hugging the tiny cat, "But… I thought I wasn't getting a pet until fifth year!"

Amber's mother laughed, "We are so proud of you for being a trooper all of these years through muggle school. Think of her as a birthday and congratulations present from all of us to you."

"What's her name, Am?" Jacob asked, smiling.

"Hmm," Amber had to think about this, "Aria. She's definitely an Aria."

Sadie giggled in approval and put a box of cat necessities in Amber's trolley. A few tears later, all of Amber and things were in the Hogwarts Express and she was holding Aria, looking out of her window for Angelina with little avail. She made herself comfortable in the empty compartment and petted Aria as the train filled up. The Hogwarts Express billowed and whistled signaling that it was going to start moving soon. It seemed like all of the children were on the train and only families were waving to the windows. Amber called goodbye enthusiastically as the Express started to chug itself out of the station and ever closer to Hogwarts.


	2. Hogwarts and Redheads

**Here's Chapter 2! Please Review :D!**

The eleven-year-old had started to feel a bit lonely, now that Aria was asleep and her cabin was empty, but as if on cue, the door slid open.

"Oi, over here, George," a voice said, then a tall-ish boy with flaming red hair stuck his head in, "Hi there, mate. All the compartments are empty, mind if we come in here?"

Amber nodded and gestured to the seats across from her as the boy sat down, closely followed by another that looked exactly identical to him.

"Name's Fred Weasley," the first boy said happily, "This is my brother George. We're first years. And you are?"

"Amber Chase, first year," she replied with a smile.

Fred and George nodded then one of them pointed at Aria, "Cool cat."

"Thanks. Her name is Aria." A slightly awkward aura filled the cabin.

"So," one of the twins started, "You have any family at Hogwarts?"

"Oh," Amber said, "Yeah, I have a second year cousin. He offered for me to sit with him, but I thought it would be a bit tense with him catching up with his friends and all."

"Oh."

Wow, this was way more than uncomfortable. Amber wished that she could just run out of the compartment and find Oliver, but of course that wasn't going to happen. The one on the right, who must've been George, opened his mouth, "So, where do you wanna be?"

"Pardon?"

"Where do you wanna be?" Fred asked, "Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw."

"Oh," Amber said with a laugh, "Oh, I already know that I'm going to be in Gryffindor. No question about it."

Now it was George's time to laugh, and look at her like she was a tad crazy, "You already know? Ha. You can't just choose where you are going to be. It's chosen for you."

"Most of my family was or is in Gryffindor. I'm absolutely going there, and I can choose if I want to," Amber replied indignantly.

"No, you can't. You will go where the Sorting Hat puts you, and I'm putting a Knut to say that you won't be in Gryffindor." Fred shot back.

"Ah, a Knut. Big bet there, mate. You're on. I'm going to be in Gryffindor, you just wait," Gosh who did these guys think they were? Amber could tell already that they weren't going to get along. These _Weasleys_ were impossible and irritating. Amber returned to focusing on Aria as the compartment door slid open.

"Anything from the trolley, sweethearts?" a plump lady pushing a snack trolley asked in a sweet voice.

"No," the twins said together then looked at Amber as if daring her to buy something.

Not that she was hungry, but just to annoy them Amber answered in an overly sugary voice, "May I please have a Chocolate Frog and some Pink Coconut Ice?"

"Of course, darling," the trolley lady handed over the candy and accepted Amber's money.

Fred and George looked on hungrily as Amber popped a shimmery pink square into her mouth, "Want some?"

They both shook their heads. Fine, if they were going to be difficult, then they could just watch her eat.

"Amber!" Angelina squealed as the compartment door opened.

"Angelina! Oh my gosh, I couldn't find you!" Amber set the sleeping Aria on the seat with the candy as she hugged her best friend.

"Mum and Dad started freaking about if I packed everything; nearly missed the train! I was sitting up front and got something from the trolley… Mum and Dad were so anxious; they forgot about breakfast. I only had an apple."

Amber and Angelina were talking and eating, gushing about and playing with Aria, wondering about Hogwarts, and comparing Chocolate Frog cards. They didn't even see Fred and George, who were looking on, a bit intrigued. Finally George coughed, and Angelina and Amber looked over.

"Oh yeah. Lina, Fred and George Weasley. Fred and George, Angelina Johnson," Amber introduced them as they nodded to each other.

Randomly, Amber gasped and reached to the luggage hold above her seat. She pulled something down. The three others looked at her questioningly as she revealed the Holyhead Harpies book. Angelina's eyes grew wider and her hands reached away from Aria in her lap and towards the book.

"No way! Where did you get this?" Angelina gasped.

"Oliver gave it to me for my birthday. Isn't it great?"

"Amber! Your birthday is in July! Why on earth didn't you show this to me sooner?"

"Slipped my mind."

Angelina rolled her eyes as she started flipping through the pages. Amber looked at Fred. She saw a happy glint reflecting in his eyes. Something inside of her began to wonder if he was really that bad after all.

"You two like Quidditch?" she asked brightly.

"Oh yeah," they replied in unison.

"Well, as long as you aren't fans of the Heidelberg Harriers we are completely fine then," she added with a genuine smile. They both smirked back.

Oliver then opened the compartment door. Amber couldn't think of worse timing due to the disapproving look he gave her upon seeing her smiling match with the Weasley boys. He could be a bit over protective.

"You lot better get changed now, we're almost there," he winked at Amber as if to say _see you at the Gryffindor table_ and walked away.

* * *

><p>Hogwarts was breathtaking. Amber could barely blink as she sat in a small boat with Angelina, the twins, and a boy named Lee Jordan. But nothing could prepare her for what she saw when they all walked in a line straight down the middle of the Great Hall. The ceiling was bewitched to look like a beautiful night sky, and hundreds of happy eyes looked at the nervous first years from the four House tables. Amber only found solace in waving to Oliver when the Sorting Hat started his song.<p>

After a few kids had been sorted, though none to Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall, the sixty-something-year-old Head of Oliver's house, called "Chase, Amber!" Some cheers erupted from her cousin and his friends, causing Amber to blush and send a shy smile their way. The old Sorting Hat felt foreign, but welcoming on her head as its raspy voice appeared in her mind.

_Well, well. What do we have here? Hmm, distinctly pureblooded, but what some may call a "traitor". I can see that you would be very brave if you could let go of your troubled past, yes. Much potential, very, very much potential, if only you would let in the key to accessing that prospective. _

Amber was quite confused by what the hat was telling her: _Uh, hi. What do you mean by, the key?_

_ Oh, child. That is for me to know and you to find out. You have an extremely bright mind; perhaps Ravenclaw could help you unlock the mystery of your future?_

_ No, with all do respect, I don't think I'd truly fit in Ravenclaw._

_ Very well, child, I do agree… Though you seem to have characteristics of all four Houses, I don't think Hufflepuff would bring you to where you need to be. Hmm, interesting. It seems to be that your blood could go either way: Slytherin or Gryffindor._

_My blood? What does my blood have to do with this? _

_Well, a smart girl like you should know that Slytherin preferred purebloods._

_But that's not what you meant, is it? You meant something about my ancestors._

_Perhaps Ravenclaw would be good for you._

_What do you mean by my blood could go either way?_

_No need to get haughty with me. I see your mind I understand what you are saying. You, child, are a Wood and a Chase. Look around; see what that means to you._

Amber was very confused, and it seemed to be that the whole hall was too. Her sorting was taking longer than usual, but Amber wasn't thinking about that. _Look around; see what that means to you._ What on earth? Then she understood. Wood was her mother's maiden name and Chase was her father's name. Oliver was a Wood, and he was in Gryffindor. Her great-grandparents on her father's side had been Slytherin, but it was more than that. _Your blood can go either way. _ No, it couldn't be. _She_ couldn't be. All of the original founders' bloodlines were supposed to have died out. Could it be that she and her siblings were the last in two long and prestigious pedigrees?

_There we are, child. Now, for me to choose, are you more of a Chase or a Wood?_

_A Wood. I may possibly be related to Salazar Slytherin, but I wouldn't succeed in his house._

_Are you sure? Slytherin has brought good to many people. _

_No… no I am positive that I'm a Gryffindor, even if I do look good in green and silver. _

The Sorting Hat let out a laugh and broke the complete silence in the Great Hall, "Gryffindor!" The Gryffindors let out huge cries of victory, as Amber hurried over to the table and sat between Oliver and a fifth year girl who clapped her back and welcomed her to the House along with all of the other kids.

First year after first year, the night sped on as all four tables cheered or, in some cases involving Slytherin and Gryffindor, jeered. Angelina, Fred and George, and the Lee Jordan boy all were sorted to Gryffindor. The magnificent feast reminded Amber how little she had eaten that day, and gave time for Oliver to introduce all of his friends. Amber talked with everyone around her until Professor Dumbledore announced that it was bedtime. No longer was she worried or uncomfortable. Amber had found her home, and an odd secret, but mostly a place where she was happy.


	3. Gryffindor

**Review, please!**

The Gryffindor Common Room was amazing. There were lots of squishy armchairs, tables, and a few loveseats along with a huge fireplace and a large notice board. Amber wanted to stay and mingle, but the two prefects shooed the first years up the two spiral staircases and into their dormitories. Amber's dormitory was large and round with a stove in the middle and five beds, each with two of their own windows. Amber found her things, along with Aria who was sleeping in a small cat tower, beside the second bed from the door on the left-hand side. Angelina's things were in the bed closest to the door.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Amber gushed.

"You can say that again," a blonde girl behind Angelina murmured.

Amber and Angelina walked in the dormitory then smiled at the three girls that lingered, "Hi, I'm Amber Chase. This is Angelina Johnson."

"Hi, I'm Katie Bell," the blonde girl replied.

"Alicia Spinnet," said a slightly chubby girl with dark hair and tan skin

"And I'm Bianca Mullein," a pale girl with jet-black hair and blue eyes barely whispered. Amber could already tell that Bianca would take a while to warm-up.

The girls each found and sat in their beds; Angelina next to the door, Amber next to Angelina, then Katie, Alicia, and finally Bianca who was next to the door also. Strangely, none of the girls were tired and spent two hours talking about their lives and hopes for Hogwarts. Bianca didn't say much but seemed happy to have outgoing roommates. Amber found that Katie had a tawny owl named Bubbs, Bianca had a barn owl named Raven, and both Alicia and Angelina didn't have pets at school. They all doted on Aria and, much to Amber's delight, were not allergic to cats. One by one they dozed off until only Amber and Aria were awake. With all the excitement of the day, she knew that rest was vital, but just could not bring herself to drift off. Instead, she decorated the wall behind her bed with a Holyhead Harpies poster and put a picture of her family on her bedside table. Then, she pulled out Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century from her trunk and slid it under the bed. Holding Aria, Amber quietly snuck down to the common room, made herself comfortable in a large armchair in front of the fire, and proceeded to read for about a half an hour until there was a creak from the boy's staircase.

Turning quickly, Amber saw Fred and George Weasley tiptoeing down the steps, wearing black robes, wands drawn. Quietly, Amber set Aria down on her book and pulled her own wand out of the sleeve of her pajamas. She waited until the boys were halfway to the portrait hole before pointing her wand at them and saying, just loud enough for them to hear, "Going somewhere, Weasleys?"

Amber was sure she heard one of the two curse quietly before they both turned around, putting innocent smiles on their faces.

"Hey there, Amber. Isn't it a bit late for you to be down here?" the one who didn't swear asked.

"I could ask you the same question."

"Ha. Touché, Chase. So, I guess I owe you that Knut now, don't I," now Amber knew that Fred was on the left, George on the right, just as they had been on the train.

"Yeah, you do," Amber replied, wand still raised.

"Okay, okay. So how about you go up to bed and I'll give it to you tomorrow?" Fred tried, smirking.

"No chance, Weasley. I really didn't play you for dumb, but going out into that castle after hours is not at all a smart move. I would go back to bed if I were you," Amber warned.

"But, you aren't us and we aren't you. So, why don't you put that wand down, Amber? Wouldn't want a misfire," George looked at the ebony 10 inch intensely.

"No can do. You will get in so much trouble if you are caught, that's against the rules."

"Rules are made to be broken," the twins said simultaneously.

"No, rules are made to be obeyed and followed; to keep order!" Amber said a bit exasperated.

"Well, we won't get caught. We are just exploring a bit. You can come if you want, we trust you," Fred said a bit cautiously.

"What? No, I'm not going to get in trouble, especially on my first night!"

"Do we sense some fear in the magnificent Amber Chase?" George asked mockingly.

"No, of course not, just…just," Amber stuttered, she was not going to let them win. She was a Gryffindor and somehow she was going to prove it. _If only you would let in the key to accessing that prospective. _The Sorting Hat's words replayed in her mind. What if these two were the key to gaining her full potential? What if she was afraid and they would help her conquer her fear? Was it worth a try?

"Well, sorry to say, but Amber we're going to go, no matter what. You can come or tattle on us in the morning, your choice," Fred told her.

Amber looked around then sighed, "Can I bring my cat? It's her first day with me, we've been moving around a lot. I think it's best if she stays with me. I already fed her, she's already been to the bathroom, and she played a lot earlier. She will mainly just be tired and she seems pretty quiet so far."

Fred and George shrugged then nodded their heads, "Alright, come on then." Amber picked up Aria and left her book in the armchair. She put her wand in her pajama pants' pocket then followed the twins out of the portrait hole.

Wearing only slippers and pajamas, Amber realized how cold the castle really got. George noticed how dark it got, "Well, we will have to scout in the dark, keep close to the wall so you can feel your way."

"You really didn't plan this out, did you?" Amber whispered with a sigh, "We will have to be very quiet, okay? _Lumos."_

The tip of Amber's wand lit up, casting a warm glow around the corridor. Fred and George looked at her in awe, obviously they didn't know this spell, but Amber had been reading up on simple magic, and found some spells came quite easily. The three marched onward, ignoring some angry remarks from the many paintings that lined the walls. They explored as much of the floor as they could without attracting attention or risk getting terribly lost. Then, they retraced their steps and called it a night as they entered the Common Room. Not even a mouse was stirring as they sat in three armchairs, warming themselves in front of the fire.

"That was thrilling! So fun! Are you going again? Wow, I didn't expect to enjoy breaking the rules like that," Amber babbled giddily.

The twins laughed heartily. Amber found that she like their laughs. They were the kind of laughs that made you laugh too and filled you with a warm sensation in the pit of your stomach. Though horrible influences, perhaps Fred and George weren't bad. Maybe the three would become good friends. The thought made Amber smile even more as the twins went on about how they did indeed plan on exploring the whole castle and finding as many secret passageways as possible. Oddly, a yawn escaped Amber's mouth which caused the twins to yawn too. They bade each other goodnight and Amber started up the stairs with Aria and her book in hand, but she glanced over at the boy's staircase and saw Fred smiling at her. She could tell it was him because he had a small rip on the wrist of his robes. Amber smiled back and waved a tiny bit as he winked at her then started up the stairs to his dorm. Something flipped a switch deep inside Amber. She found that she liked his smile, a lot. She found that his wink caused butterflies to start bombarding her insides. No, no she couldn't start having a crush on the Weasley boy. Not on her first day, not on probably the most troublesome boy at Hogwarts. She told herself it was just the adrenaline from running away from Mrs. Norris, the caretaker, Mr. Filch's, evil cat. Yes, that was it, adrenaline. Either way, she would find out if it really was adrenaline when she saw him at breakfast the next morning.

* * *

><p>Amber got about three hours of sleep before Angelina was shaking her awake, "Come on, Am! Don't wanna miss the first day of classes, now do you? Get up, lazy schlup!"<p>

Amber groaned. Was Angelina going to be like this every morning?

"I'm up, I'm up," she grumbled as she literally rolled out of her bed, "Ow! Who put that floor there?"

Amber's roommates stopped rushing around and started cracking up at her mishap. Amber rubbed her eyes and fed Aria before scowling at the guffawing first years behind her, "Yeah, yeah laugh it up. Just let this be a warning: I am not a morning person. Cross me too early and you might loose a finger."

Amber and the girls got ready and trampled down the spiral stairs, still laughing about the fall; even Bianca was recalling the events in amusement. Fred and George were chumming it up with Lee Jordan in the Common Room, but they both looked up and gave Amber identical smirks that plainly said _we had fun with our secret, but nobody else can know._ Amber returned the expression.

"What was that about with the redheads?" Angelina asked pressingly after they passed through the portrait hole, causing the other girls to take a sudden interest.

"What was what about?" Amber asked back, playing innocent.

"Oh come _on_, Amber," Katie piped in, "You know exactly what she's talking about."

"Yeah, missie, that look wasn't nothing," Alicia added with a gossipy tone as Bianca nodded.

"I honestly don't know what your talking about," Amber snickered then walked along, letting them know that no bit of information could be pulled out of her.

Breakfast at the Great Hall was just as good as dinner. Everything about Hogwarts seemed flawless so far, that was until Oliver came in and decided to open his big mouth, "Hey, little cousin! So, uh, we need to talk."

Amber looked at him, confused, "What about?"

Oliver led her to the corner of the Great Hall and put on his "protective" look, "I noticed on the train and this morning that you've been pretty _friendly_ with those Weasley boys."

Of course he'd say something like that, "Yeah, I have been friendly because they are my friends. Isn't that what friends do, be friendly?"

Oliver looked stumped, "Your dad told me to watch out for you. Hey, no eye rolling, Am. That's all I'm doing. I don't want to see you get hurt and I know for a fact that they are trouble."

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" Amber asked, disgruntled.

"Their older brother, Percy, he's in my dormitory. He says that they are the worst of the family, always making trouble and teasing. I don't want you feeling like you did at your old school because of them."

Amber hesitated, "I can take care of myself."

It was already a known fact that Fred and George weren't exactly "well behaved", their stint last night had shown that, but in no way at all were they like the muggle children at Amber's old school. While Amber didn't know them extremely well yet, she knew one thing: they wouldn't abuse her for her magic.

Oliver sighed, "I know you can… but, just be careful, okay? Now eat up and me and the guys will walk you and your friends to your class."

"That's incorrect grammar, but I gladly accept," Amber giggled and hugged Oliver, she knew he understood.


	4. Cats and Heights

**WhooHoo! Chapter 4: please review! :D**

Flanked by Oliver and his brood of friends, the Gryffindor girls skipped to Transfiguration. The classroom was quite intimidating. It appeared that everything had a place, and was indeed in that place; there was not a littered book on the ground or a drop of quill ink anywhere visible. Amber sat with Angelina, Katie with Alicia, and Bianca with the Jordan boy who had just entered. From the sound of a small cough, Amber noticed that Fred and George were seated at the table directly behind her. In fact, most of the class had taken their seats, but there was no professor. Amber was scared to turn around and start a conversation with the twins; she knew that Professor McGonagall could be stern, well, extremely stern from what Oliver had said.

_Meow. _Amber turned. There was a tabby cat with white marks around her eyes, almost like tiny cat spectacles. Amber looked around but still didn't see the tall, black-haired witch that had introduced them to Hogwarts and the Sorting Hat. Kneeling down, Amber started petting the cat's head, "Hello there, kitty. Oh, you are a pretty kitty, but what are you doing down here? I don't think cats are allowed in classrooms."

Fred and George both snorted in their chairs, knowing something she did not. Amber turned back and crossed her arms, "What on Earth are you two laughing about?" Fred motioned for her to turn around. Low and behold, there stood the tall, black-haired witch that had introduced them to Hogwarts and the Sorting Hat.

"Oh, shoot!" Amber muttered under her breath.

"Hello, Miss Chase," Professor McGonagall looked a tad cross, "I see you have met my alter ego, the pretty kitty."

"I, uh, you," Amber stuttered, then said all she could think of, "You are very pretty as a human, too, Professor." That made the whole class snicker, even Professor McGonagall laughed a bit.

"Why thank you, Amber, but I would suggest you take a seat," she said with a smile.

"Y-yes, Professor," Amber sat immediately, too embarrassed to even look at Angelina.

And with that, the lesson began, and Amber's fears melted away as knowledge filled her mind.

"So, Professor," Amber began after the 'introduction to Transfiguration lecture', "Since you can become an Animagus and transfigure yourself, would it be safe to say that a witch or wizard could transfigure anything?"

"Well, that is a tad controversial, but under general circumstances, I would say, yes, it is quite safe to infer that."

"But under… precise circumstances… For example, would you be able to transfigure… say… a wand?" Amber had carefully waited for this moment, planning it out. Improving Your Wand and Skills, one of the restricted books, promised to give a detailed explanation on how to transfigure your wand to appear exactly as you would like it to, along with some _other_ promises. Amber hadn't dared to read the book yet; she didn't want her wand to explode at the most minuscule of mistakes.

Professor McGonagall paused, "That would be… very dangerous. Some who have tried to transfigure their wands have done permanent damage."

Amber nodded slowly, downcast. Dangerous, permanent damage; surely those people had been unprepared and uneducated. Surely, Amber could transfigure her wand, just a little bit. From what the professor had said, it was a horrible idea, but Amber deeply desired to accomplish the endeavor. If Amber could successfully transfigure her wand, she would prove that she wasn't just _another kid_. She would be renowned around school, in a good way, not like before. Sometime while Amber was lost in her thoughts, all of the other students had started to leave the classroom, but Amber had one more question for McGonagall.

"Professor, could I ask you something?" Amber stood in front of her teacher's desk, slinging her bag across her shoulder, "Um, I kind of was wondering if I could learn more about… about being an animagus."

Professor McGonagall looked puzzled at first but then smiled softly, understanding Amber completely, "Ah, Miss Chase, I see that we are one for knowledge, yes? Now, being an animagus is very tolling and time consuming. If you are really passionate, it will take the utmost effort."

Amber nodded quickly, "Professor I promise you, I would be prepared and dedicated."

"Alright, Miss Chase. Before making such a huge choice I would like you to do some light research. Before dinner, I would encourage you to check this book out from the library."

Professor McGonagall wrote a title on a scrap of paper, then sent Amber on her way to potions class. The day passed a bit slowly, until the final class of the day came around: flying. The first year Gryffindors' free period was at the end of the day, so it was still light out as Amber and Angelina rushed out to the Training Grounds. The fresh smell of grass filled Amber's nostrils as she dropped her book bag and dashed over to a line of brooms next to Madam Hooch.

"Okay, Gryffindors please take your place next to one of the brooms to my left. Slytherins, to my right," Madam Hooch announced, but Amber was already there.

The students were instructed on what they were to do, ending with, "Again, just raise your hand over the broom and say 'up!'"

Amber's fingers had been itching just to hold onto the wood that lay next to her feet, "Up!" The broom came racing into her left hand upon the first command, while other brooms were being difficult. The twins and Angelina didn't have much trouble, but Bianca and a few Slytherins couldn't even get their brooms to roll.

"Say it firmly, but not angrily. Oh, yes, there we go. Now students, straddle your brooms and but do not lift off," Madam Hooch continued, "Good, very good! Okay, now lightly push off the ground and hover."

The class obeyed with no issues. Amber's insides soared, but were not satisfied with being just inches from the ground; she wanted to _fly._

"Yes, now will your broom to go higher, but do not start flying."

All of the students' brooms slowly went higher, except for Bianca's. She went flying, screaming loudly. Her broom was lurching every which way, before it soared up way high in the air and towards the school. Amber didn't even think before streaking towards her roommate, ignoring the screams from her fellow students and Madam Hooch. Bianca was desperately trying to stabilize her broom, but it ended up making her spin in circles, ever closer to the sky and a very sharp flag pole on one of the school's towers. Amber was just behind Bianca struggling to keep up, "Bianca! Stop moving!"

Bianca froze, looking as if she were going to hurl. Amber immediately grabbed the front of her broomstick, causing it to shake momentarily.

"It's okay, B. Okay, just breathe. Alright, hold the broom tightly with your hands and let your legs relax and just hang," Amber said calmly as Bianca nodded and executed the instructions, "It looks like you have a sensitive broom. So, it's not just you being a completely horrible rider."

Bianca laughed shakily, as if trying to take her mind of the pointed iron near her arm, and returned Amber's tiny smile, looking a bit less green, "Thanks Amber. Now, how on earth do I get off of this thing?"

"Alrighty. Uh, okay we are bit higher than I'm used too for… this situation," Amber paused causing Bianca to freak again.

"Amber! I thought you knew what you were doing! With somebody holding my broom, I would like to think that they aren't going to let me fall to my death!" she exclaimed exasperated, and obviously afraid of heights.

"Don't worry, Bianca. I've done this with my little brother plenty of times. Okay, I'm going to pull you down and ease you to the ground, okay?" Amber pulled slightly on Bianca's overly sensitive broom, causing it to take a deep lunge. Amber held it still again, rethinking her strategy.

"I'm doing what you told me, Am: loose legs, tight hands. Just please think of something to do before I throw up," Bianca looked close to tears, "I can't do this. I'm muggle-born. I've never, ever been on a broom before. I haven't even been on an airplane. Heights are not my thing, and I can't take this like you, I'm not brave. I wasn't raised this way. I can't do this."

Amber's tone became soft, "I didn't know, I… Bianca, you're a Gryffindor, that means that you are brave, whether you know it or not. If I asked you to do something a bit crazy would you do it? I promise, it would make things faster."

Bianca nodded once, "Okay, just do it fast."

"Okay, we will need to switch brooms, yours is _way _to sensitive for a beginner," Amber pushed her broom up close next to Bianca, who suddenly had very wide eyes, "I'm going to hold onto your broom, I want you to lift one leg over my broom. I will do the same to yours. I'll tell you when to slide fully onto my broom. Remember, tight hands, loose legs."

Carefully, Amber and Bianca slid onto each other's brooms, with minimal turbulence; Bianca looked much safer on the steady piece of wood. Amber then guided her down to the ground, and the rest of the class, feeling at home on the sensitive broomstick. It looked like all of the first years had been holding their breaths, but Madam Hooch looked positively irate. The Gryffindor girls embraced Bianca while Fred and George clapped Amber on the back asking how she did that.

"Miss Chase! That was very foolish of you! Both of you could have been killed!" Madam Hooch spouted off.

"B-but Madam, she saved me! There's no way I could get back down here without her help, I nearly didn't with her help!" Bianca piped in, a bit disturbed at Madam Hooch's angry tone, "Honestly, if anything, you should be awarding Amber points for bravery and helping me out. I didn't see you up in the air when I was in danger."

A few students gasped at what the shy Gryffindor had just said; even she recoiled when she realized what had come out of her mouth. Madam Hooch, though, didn't look angry or surprised, just guilty, "Yes, I suppose you are right, Miss Mullein, but I do not exactly appreciate your tone, especially since you are talking to your superior."

Bianca nodded as the professor continued, "Class dismissed, except for you, Amber. I would like a quick chat."

"I-I didn't mean to break the rules, professor. I just… I. She's my friend and she was going to get hurt. I know I can fly, and I thought if I could help her…" Amber searched for the right thing to say.

"That was not a very wise choice, you could have been seriously hurt, especially switching brooms, but it was very brave and you did help your friend in need. I will only take three points from Gryffindor this time, but mind, if somebody does get hurt, there will be consequences," Madame Hooch lectured.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Madam Hooch. I swear I will not put anyone in danger again, I will be careful and respectful," the first year jabbered.

"Good. Now, Miss Chase, you seem very comfortable on a broomstick. Do you fly regularly at home?"

"Oh, I used to fly every day… away from muggles, though… I really love to fly."

"I see. So does that mean that you will be at Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts this Friday?"

"You can bet ten galleons on it."

"Excellent. Now scurry on, enjoy your free period."

"Thank you, Madam Hooch."

Amber was a bit confused on what had just happened but shook it off and hurried to the library where she read the book Professor McGonagall recommended. She found herself mesmerized by all of the wonders that made up the wizarding world. Now, right now, she was in a magical school with living stairs and a giant squid. Now she was reading up on how to turn herself into an animagus. Now she belonged. _Here_ is where she belonged. Here at Hogwarts: a place where nobody would think she was a freak because of her magic. A place where she could be happy and nobody would hurt her anymore.

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><p>Quidditch tryouts came so fast that Amber started to wonder if time flowed differently at Hogwarts. Alas, wondering didn't slow time down when Oliver started dragging her towards the Quidditch pitch saying, "Come on, we'll be late. Remember just focus and have fun," all the way. Though, it was hard to "focus and have fun" when you were the only first year up in the air, with only two friendly faces looking at you. Amber learned quickly that the team captain was a sixth year Seeker named Charlie Weasley (he was the very kind brother of the twins) and the rest of the hopefuls, with the exception of Oliver, were seventeen-year-olds who had been on the team the previous year. It was going to be a very hard tryout, especially since an angry Chaser, Malachi Benson, didn't look very pleased that Amber, a little first year, was vying for his position.<p>

There were only seven other kids out on the Pitch, and they all had more training than Amber, but didn't all prove to be better than her. Amber had the speed and bravery in the air, along with a solid arm. She was in the zone once she mounted her broom, and nothing could pull her out of concentration. Though Oliver was almost flawless at his tryout, Amber did score against him three out of five times (though they were close), but Malachi Benson and another boy didn't score once. It was obvious that Amber was the best out there. Once she hit the ground, she found herself exhausted and wondered if she had ever tried so hard for anything else in her life. Oliver squeezed her shoulders reassuringly, Benson gave her the dirtiest look on Earth, and there were loud cheers from the Gryffindor stands.

"YEAH CHASE! WHOOP, WHOOP! THROW THAT QUAFFLE!" Fred and George screamed in unison, laughing. Angelina gave her a thumbs-up while Bianca waved shyly. Amber couldn't help but laugh and wave back, she hadn't even noticed her friends before.

Oliver rolled his eyes but chuckled as Charlie ran his fingers through his hair, chortling, "I see that you know my brothers. You already have a little fan base up there. Well, I think we'll end with that. Since this is a very small group, and I know how all of your play, the team will be on the board in the Common Room… rather the one Chaser who didn't make it won't have their name on the board by tomorrow morning."

The team bade each other goodbye as Amber's "fan base" slowly started down the tall viewing stands. The players had all changed in the locker room and dispersed, but just as Amber was leaving; she remembered her Transfiguration book in the corner where her bag had been.

"… Why not, Charlie? You know she's _way_ better than Benson and even Gibson. Besides, you just see, she will improve even more with practice, with being on a real Pitch with a real team…" Amber had to strain to her Oliver's voice as she crept close to the locker room's open door.

"I know she's good, Oliver, but I don't think that taking her would be the best choice. Benson's already mad enough that he's not captain this year, but that aside, he may not be amazing, but he does deserve the spot. He has worked so hard for so long, and he knows the game," Charlie replied, sounding a bit guilty and sad.

"But, that's not fair at all! You saw her out there, she deserves the spot just as much as Benson!"

"Hey, hold up, hold up. I'm gonna tell you exactly why I can't take her and what I have in mind. Alright… It plainly isn't safe out there for her. Do you remember exactly what happened throughout your first game?"

"No."

"And why is that?"

"Well, because I got hit with a bludger and blacked out."

"Precisely. Amber's way smaller than you, and trying to be a _Chaser_. They will positively _kill_ her out there! They will all gang up on her, especially Slytherin. There's no way that they would let her get the Quaffle, and if she did… well who knows what fouls they would pull on her."

"But I know she's strong!"

"Oliver, I really don't want her getting hurt. Here's what I'm going to do, though: if Dumbledore and McGonagall agree, I want to take her on as a reserve, only because Gibson has a tendency to attract bludgers and not recover quickly. She will be required to attend _all_ practices. I will have her work with the team, improve, and keep up on what will go on in the games. For the games themselves, she will be in the stands. If she is indeed serious, she might need to take care of some of the brooms to make sure that they are in perfect condition. Giving her odd jobs will probably be the only way that the other Heads will allow it; to make her kind of like a skilled water girl," Charlie explained sounding a bit tired.

"You can do that? Yes, yes, please! This is so important, she will love just being part of the team!" Oliver sounded ecstatic.

Amber smiled, just knowing that there was a hope for her. Forgetting all about the book, she ran over to her friends as they started back to the castle.

"Woah, Chase, you didn't tell us that you were _that_ good!" one of the twins, must have been George, exclaimed.

"Yeah! You barely missed, and killed in the speed trials. Charlie's reasonable, he's sure to take you on!" Fred declared as the twins sandwiched her.

"Friends with a first-year Quidditch star… awesome!" they called to the sky.

"Yeah, Am, even icky Snape will be impressed when he sees you out there," Bianca said confidently.

"Even Aria thinks you were amazing!" Angina waved the kitten's paw at her best friend.

"Ha!" Amber laughed, "Of course, can't forget the cat!"

"Do you think having you be a Chaser this year will further guarantee us spots on next year's team? I mean our own blood is the captain, but do you think you could convince him more on us, and fully for Angelina?" Fred mused.


	5. Nova

**Note: **_All credit and information about Secrets of the Darkest Art goes to JK Rowling and SaintRidley (fanfiction) with the fan fiction Secrets of the Darkest Art_

**I hope you like Chapter 5 and I hope you review! :D**_  
><em>

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><p>Amber Chase sat awake in the Gryffindor Common Room, starting her week off sleepless. She was patting her small, jet-black cat that rested in her lap and reading a book titled <span>Quidditch Through the Ages<span>, completely entranced. The gelid October air crept into the chamber, making the girl shiver slightly and goose bumps form under her robe. The Common Room fire had started to die out, causing most of the room's warmth to disappear, no matter how many times Amber poked it. A wooden grandfather clock next to the Common Room Notice Board chimed, notifying all awake that it was midnight. The first year closed her book and set it on the coffee table next to her cushy armchair. She then dislodged an old, hardback from between the chair's cushion and frame. The Secrets of the Darkest Art was oddly warm, hot even, as if it were pulsing with a life of its own. The black leather book had purple motifs along with the title branded down on the cover, the title painted over in silver. It wasn't a particularly thick book, but the binding was worn and the pages were soft from years of turning. Amber had only flipped through the pages before, not gone into detail with reading it.

_What a better way to start your first Hogwarts Halloween than to read up on evil? _Amber thought, humoring herself.

Amber sighed then whispered down to the cat lying in her lap, "Aria, looky here… remember when I told you about some _special_ books? This one is _very_ special. I'm not supposed to read this at all, but… all bets are off on Halloween."

Her fingers shook slightly, from either the cold or the mystery of what may be within the pages, as she flipped the pages open to the introduction. She read the first short paragraph slowly, then repeated the last sentence out loud, "The Dark Arts are to be feared and respected; misuse can have the gravest consequences." She did indeed respect and fear the Dark Arts; she respected and feared the Dark Arts greatly. She went then on to read the first chapter: _Defining the Horcrux._ So _that_ was the darkest art, creating a Horcrux, and it truly was dark, and extremely horrible. There was a ritual process that was necessary to create the "true key to immortality" that, if preformed incorrectly, could kill you. Amber found herself quite frightened of the book and the magical possibilities it introduced.

Some short time after she finished the second chapter, Amber's eyes started to become very heavy. She hid the book, which she had decided was nothing short of evil, in the armchair cushion as she let the darkness of the room succumb her, falling into a doze.

_Amber's eyes fluttered open, in front of her was the dark Common Room. She glanced down, noticing that her beloved cat wasn't in her lap anymore, but all Amber could see was darkness; the fire had died out and clouds were covering the moon outside the windows tall. _

_ "Scared, are we?" a voice from behind Amber's chair made her jump. She spun around but couldn't see anyone or anything._

_ "Over here, kid," the words seemed to almost slither into Amber's ears, making her feel a bit unsteady. She turned back around, just as a few clouds moved, letting a beam of moonlight shine before her chair, revealing a shadowed girl. Squinting her eyes, Amber realized that it wasn't just any girl; it was a girl identical to her, an Amber-double. Only, through the moonlight, Amber could see her doppelganger's eyes twinkle maliciously, and they were as black as the night itself. _

_ "You, y-you're," Amber stuttered._

_ "I-I, I'm…" her clone mocked her stammer, "I'm you? Not exactly." She smiled, showing sharp, white teeth._

_ "You see, I am you, but what you'd regard as 'the darker side of your conscience', you can call me… Nova," she said with a short laugh, "Yes, for now I will be Nova, a star that is showing an increase in brightness. Though, I'm not as apparent in you as I used to be. Let's just say, I'm making a comeback."_

_ "What?" Amber asked, genuinely frightened._

_ "I would tell you not to be afraid of me," Nova continued, "But you really should be. I'm the part of you that you honestly don't want… which is quite rude, to add. You should be glad I'm here! I can bring us to whole new heights. Well, technically I can bring myself to power, since I'm you and you're me."_

_ Amber didn't quite understand, but thought that this, "conscience", was telling her that they were the exact same person. Amber looked down. She was wearing bright pink pajamas, with a black robe on over it. Nova, well Nova was wearing something completely else. It looked like a furry, black leotard with a thick, black cape over it. Frankly, her sense of style was frightening. _

_"It may be frightening, but it works," Nova spouted, reading Amber's mind, then she pointed to the gold letters that were stitched onto Amber's robe, "ASC. Amber Savannah Chase. You know, there's a lot in a name. When I see yours, I see power. Let me ask you something; have you considered carrying out what you read in that book?"_

_ "You mean a Horcrux?" Amber asked incredulously, "Of course not! It's horrible! People die to make Horcruxes!"_

_ "Die? Die! Ha! You cannot seriously be saying that!" Nova said, unconvinced, "You want it. You crave the power it would give you, the immortality. Pull that off and everything could be yours; everything could be ours. We would be more powerful than even Voldemort; you know that? You and I could rule the world together. Let me help you get there!" Nova reached her hands to Amber, who pulled away._

_ "No, You-Know-Who is evil! Pure evil! I won't be anything like him! You can't help me, I don't want your help!" Amber spat._

_ "No, that's where you are wrong. Think back, back to just last year. You were in pure hell, just because of muggles. They did horrible things to you and no one at all cared, not even your own parents. I know you wished day-in and day-out that bad things would happen to them. Bad things did happen, but they blamed them on you and made things worse. To have power would mean that you were better than that. People would care, people would care so much that you might forget what had caused you to rise above everyone else! Your pain is power, power that we just have to modify. Doing this… doing this would change everything and you would never have to worry about the little things ever again."_

_ Amber thought, reliving the horrible memories that came with her previous years; reliving all of the wishes and hopes that she had back then, "The little things turn out to be the big things later in life; just small details could change a person's whole existence… I don't want to be completely horrible."_

_ "You wouldn't be at all"_

_ "But killing is horrible. I would have to kill."_

_ "Death comes anyways, Amber. Why not just speed it up? I'll tell you what… start with three, three Horcruxes. Minimal damage caused, right? Just choose any of the three muggles that ruined you. Nobody would notice or care if they disappeared."_

_ "Just three…" Amber slowly stood up out of her chair, sensing a cold change in her gut, "What would I use as the Horcruxes?"_

_ "Well… the cat! You could use the cat. Oh, and the Quidditch book! Two of the things that matter most to you!" Nova was getting very excited, she was winning, and she liked to win._

_ "Possibly, I will think on that… but would those be too obvious?"_

_ "Well, you could be like a serial killer and use only Gilderoy Lockheart books," Nova suggested._

_ "Too predictable. The cat would work. As would the Quidditch book and… and a ring! I have dozens that I've gotten from holidays or such," Amber, too, was getting quite excited as she accepted the odd feeling inside of her, "I'll do it… I want it."_

_ Nova smiled wickedly, showing her pointed teeth. Amber returned the smile, looking just as corrupted. Nova then took Amber's hands and squeezed them reassuringly. Her hands were so cold, but in Amber's mind, they were cold in a refreshing way. She wondered why she hadn't accepted Nova's offer earlier, she felt so empowered now. She savored the moment the dream had provided for her; she savored the moment that would change her life forever._


	6. Fred

**Here's Chapter 6. Sorry it took so long, and that it isn't an action packed chapter, but the next will be. :) Please review! Ch. 7 coming soon!**

Amber woke with a start as Aria meowed and pounced on her stomach, "Holy cow, Aria! What the heck?"

Aria just mewed and gave Amber an angry look that seemed to say, "I trust you, but not her." The eleven-year-old felt a bit unnerved. That dream, the odd desire to kill, now her angry cat, this was sure to be a very strange Halloween.

"It's alright, Ari," Amber soothed her cat as she glanced at the clock that read two a.m., "I'm not going back to sleep. _Incendio!_" Flames roared to life in the fireplace in front of Amber's giant armchair. The room instantly started to warm up, for this, Amber was grateful; her dream had caused her to feel chilled to the bone. Curling up in the chair, wrapping her robe tighter around her body, holding Aria, and grabbing Quidditch Through the Ages, Amber started to relax. She had about five minutes of reading and warmth before it was interrupted.

"Hey," a voice whispered from behind Amber's head, causing her to jump and loose her breath. Aria hissed before stalking to a couch and falling asleep once more.

"Fred Weasley! You nearly scared me to death!" Amber choked, "God, what _are_ you doing up at this hour, sneaking up on me nonetheless?"

Fred chuckled in the dim moon and firelight, "I could ask you the same question, but you rarely sleep, do you? And, hey, you knew it was me!"

Amber didn't really think about that, she had named the right twin. The past month, she had spent most of her time with Bianca, Angelina, and the twins. She found that while she really did like Katie and Alicia, she ended up being with the two other girls instead. Fred and George had taken quite a liking to Lee Jordan, who could be found following them almost every second of the day, except when they ignored him to hang out with the girls. Amber felt very comfortable with the twins and frequently stayed up late into the night joking and talking with them, along with the occasional castle exploration. They both knew how to make her smile and laugh no matter what, especially Fred. Even when she was exhausted in the morning after their meetings, Amber knew that she could get used to it, given that she usually stayed up on her own anyways; it was just more natural feeling with the twins keeping her awake.

Fred's eyes glinted in reaction to Amber's smile as he smiled back. Amber discovered that the twins rarely _smiled_ the usually smirked, and boy could they smirk. It seemed like they knew a million different ways to smirk, but with Amber, they actually _smiled._ It seemed easier for Amber to make Fred smile than George, that was one of the reasons that she liked him more, even though they were both awesome in her mind. That was one of the only ways that she could tell them apart. They were completely identical, but Fred smiled more around her, and she felt more at ease inside around him; it could've been his body language, or something else, Amber really didn't know.

"Well, I… You sound so surprised. I've known you for a month, though it seems way longer, I can nine times out of ten distinguish you from George. Is that so astonishing?" Amber asked giggling.

"Actually, yes, our mum can't even tell the difference between us," Fred grinned and sat on the couch with Aria, petting her head, "So, tell me. How can you, a girl who has known us a month, differentiate my brother and I when the women who gave birth to us, and the rest of our family cannot?"

"Hmm… well, there are a few things. Firstly, Aria kinda prefers you to George," the cat meowed softly in her sleep, moving a bit closer to Fred, who chortled, "Also, I think your voices are a tiny bit different. Hmm, your eyes are a brighter blue, and you act differently."

Fred smiled, and despite the fact that it was dark, Amber thought she saw him blush a little bit, "You think my eyes are brighter?"

That caused Amber to blush furiously, "Uh, I… sorta, I guess."

"Cool…" Fred said quietly, and through the dark, Amber could spot that his ears were bright scarlet.

"Happy Halloween!" Fred piped up brightly, "I actually have something for you. Not even George knows about it, though, so yeah, secret."

"Ha, really not even George knows?" Amber joked, "You guys are so in sync sometimes, I'm sure you're one person. There's no way he doesn't know about anything that has to do with you!"

Fred smiled, "You'd be surprised. Well, here it is. It's not much, but since we're friends, I figured I had to give you something for keeping you up almost every night."

Amber held a small brown package in her hand. She quickly unwrapped it, curious. There was a package of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and a small bag Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Amber beamed at Fred who had his hands in his pajama pockets and was looking down, blushing a bit as if slightly ashamed by his gift.

"Fred, thank you so much!" Amber exclaimed, flinging her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly, "I love these! But, how'd you get them?"

"Oh, yeah, George and I found a passageway. We wanted to wait to tell you about it until today. It's a tunnel that leads to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. We left money for the treats, but we didn't want to get caught," Fred seemed proud of his feat.

"Brilliant!" Amber grinned, "Well, I don't have any cool confections for you, but I do have this…" She hadn't planned on anyone giving her anything for Halloween, except Angelina. They swapped non-candy gifts every year; thank god Amber had part of Angelina's Christmas gift in her trunk. She would feel so horrible about not giving Fred something back. She ran up the stairs and retrieved it quietly before coming back and handing him the carefully wrapped present.

He smiled slightly, "You didn't have to, really. I mean it's not like you had a secret passageway. Whose present is this anyways?"

Amber giggled, "I want to give it to you. It was part of another present, but you really deserve it. I want you to have it, you're one of my best friends. Take it."

Fred beamed as he opened the Color-Changing Ink, "No way! Thanks so much, Amber! I can't wait to use it."

"You're very welcome. It doesn't really look like either of us is tired. You want to share my new candy?"

Fred nodded as they sat on the ground in front of the fire, guessing what flavor beans they got, then throwing them into each other's mouths, trying not to miss. They laughed, talked for hours, and almost hurled when they got the nastiest of Bertie Bott's.

"So, I apologize," Fred uttered out of nowhere.

"For what?" Amber asked, blowing a Drooble's bubble.

"For saying that you weren't going to be in Gryffindor, on the first day," Fred chewed on his gum.

Amber smiled, trusting the redhead more than ever, "That's alright, and random, but I appreciate your apology… Fred, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What did the Sorting Hat say to you?" Amber asked tentatively.

Fred shrugged, "I'm pretty sure it said, 'Another Weasley? How many of you are there? Oh, that many?' then it told me that I was brave, but that might get me in trouble. It thought that I was ambitious, resourceful, and determined, but… but that I wouldn't hurt everyone to get what I wanted, whatever that means. How about you?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Amber looked around the common room, suspiciously as Fred nodded, "It said two of my ancestors… kind of founded this school, or I think that's what it was going for. That hat doesn't come out and say one thing without putting double meanings into it."

"WHAT?" Fred exclaimed.

"Shush! We're not supposed to be up!"

"Well, I'm sorry but… what?" Fred half whispered, "That's completely crazy! Tell me exactly what it said!"

"Okay, okay," Amber whispered, "It said that my blood could either way: Slytherin or Gryffindor. When I asked it if it meant my ancestors it just told me that I was smart enough to be in Ravenclaw. What do you think it all means?"

Fred shrugged, chewing on his gum furiously, "We could research… Gryffindor _and_ Slytherin! How on earth did that come out? They hated each other, and from the evidence here, hate can last centuries."

Amber rolled her eyes, "Yes, hate can last forever, but Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin did not always hate each other. They used to be best friends."

"Best friends?" Fred scoffed, "I've never heard that before. I mean, sure, they had to be okay with each other if they were going to make a school… but they _did _hate each other, right?"

Amber sighed, Fred really should've known this, some of this, "They were best friends before the school and while the castle was being built. It was when students started coming, that problems were induced. See, Slytherin wanted to hand pick his students based on blood and traits. Slytherin wanted ambitious, cunning, achievement-oriented purebloods. He also wanted to take all of the Parselmouths, like himself. Parselmouths are witches and wizards who can talk to snakes, by the way-"

"-I know what a Parselmouth is," Fred interrupted.

"Yeah, okay. Well, he figured that he would have the first pick of those students for his house and then give the rest of the rest to the others. It wasn't until they started to actually pick their first students that things got… bad. Slytherin and Gryffindor were really close but the issue of blood purity in students at the school tore them apart over time. Slytherin left because the other founders were allowing muggle-born and half-blood students in Hogwarts, but not before he put his standards into the Sorting Hat. Also, well, according to legend, he also made sure his chamber was built, and the monster was alive."

"Monster?"

"Yup. Slytherin was super power hungry and wanted to make sure that his house stayed strong. Story goes that he created a secret chamber and set a killer monster loose… Actually, they were all pretty power hungry; Slytherin the most, but they all… You want a real challenge? Try and find the secret places in this very castle. They each made one place, whether it's a room, a floor, or even a closet. You know, a secret place, that only a true Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw could find. You and George think you're really good, try and find one," Amber explained.

Fred snorted, "Secret places… actually, if that's real, it's kinda cool."

Amber started to laugh, making Fred smile, "Well, Miss Chase, I will take that bet… on one condition…"

Amber raised her eyebrows, "And that is, Mr. Weasley?"

"You help us," Fred replied.

"How would it benefit me?"

"Ha, okay, okay. You find a room with us, and not only would you be one of the coolest kids at Hogwarts…" Fred grinned at the way Amber burst out laughing, "But I would also work my butt off to find out, by any means necessary, if you are the true heir to both Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor."

Amber blew a big bubble and smiled as it popped, "You're on, Weasley."


End file.
